Chapter 2457: Chapter 2457

As Yue Duqiu appeared, a cold and melodious voice followed, “It’s indeed very rare to find such a character in the Great Thousand Worlds, but in the Eternal True Realm, you’ll see more than a few.”

A rain of golden light drifted in, condensing into a divine rainbow woven from lotus blossoms. Atop it stood an ethereal figure, radiant as a fairy descending into the mortal world.

Her skin was as perfect as jade and her figure was bathed in a soft golden glow, dreamy and otherworldly. Crossed behind her back were two swords—one blue and one violet, each exuding a sharp, murderous aura that added to her fierce presence.

“Fairy Xiaoyuan is absolutely right.” Yue Duqiu said with a smile, his tone filled with warmth and respect.

Only then did Lin Xun realize her identity.

She was an eighth realm Emperor known as Violet-Blue Blade Emperor. She had cultivated for only three thousand years and her meteoric rise had shaken the world, leaving countless old antiques ashamed. She had suppressed even the older generation to the point they could no longer lift their heads.

She was born with the Nine Mystic Dao Body, a heaven-defying innate talent unmatched beneath the heavens. It was said in the past three thousand years, she alone had embodied the majesty of the Emperor’s dao.

Like Yue Duqiu and Feng Junlin, Xiang Xiaoyuan hailed from the Divine Ascension Starfield, which was ranked first in the Great Thousand Worlds. Adding to that, her background was extremely mysterious and extraordinary.

Rumor had it that her mother came from an immortal clan in the Eternal True Realm, a lineage that wielded Heaven rank laws and held extraordinary status. Among the many Emperor-level powerhouses participating in the trial, Xiang Xiaoyuan’s presence was a focal point of admiration and discussion.

As all other flowers withered and fell, only she remained in radiant bloom, as if all the beauty of spring had gathered around Xiang Xiaoyuan alone! There was a unique and legendary charm about this woman.

Lin Xun looked at the two and said plainly, “You two didn’t come just to chat, did you?”

He knew that Yue Duqiu and Xiang Xiaoyuan had been secretly watching his battle with Feng Junlin from the start. Their presence was likely the reason Feng Junlin had chosen to end the fight.

“Of course not,” Yue Duqiu replied with a smile, standing atop his green gourd. “How should I put this... In the Ninth Immortal Heavenly Pass, there lies an extremely dangerous opportunity. If fate allows it, Fairy Xiaoyuan and I hope you might join us to face it together.”

Xiang Xiaoyuan nodded, her voice clear and melodious like the tinkling of celestial bells, “Although It is said to be perilous, the fortune hidden there is extraordinary and can’t be found in the outside world. I believe that with our combined strength, we can turn danger into gain and seize that fortune.”

Lin Xun was slightly surprised. He never expected the two to come here for this reason.

“Can I ask why me and not Feng Junlin?” Lin Xun asked.

Yue Duqiu smiled faintly and answered, “Feng Junlin’s situation is rather special. Well, let’s just say he’s not someone on the same path as us and working together is simply out of the question.”

Lin Xun nodded and then said with interest, “But don’t you two know that my own situation is...rather precarious as well?”

Yue Duqiu and Xiang Xiaoyuan were both stunned, unsure of what he meant.

“I’ll likely have to pass through the ninth district before I can leave the trial grounds,” Lin Xun said calmly.

After hearing that, the expressions of Yue Duqiu and Xiang Xiaoyuan changed. Exchanging a glance, they immediately understood just how precarious Lin Xun’s current situation was.

“Of course, if I do make it to the Ninth Immortal Heavenly Pass, I wouldn’t mind joining forces with you two. But for now, I have to go.” With that, Lin Xun disappeared into the distance.

Yue Duqiu was briefly taken aback, then frowned. “That Wen Shaoheng’s methods are far too ruthless!”

“Without Heng Tianshuo pulling strings behind the scenes, how could Ling Xuanzi have ended up in such a hopeless situation?” Xiang Xiaoyuan added. “In my opinion, we should consider finding someone else.”

Yue Duqiu let out a bitter smile and sighed, “There are very few like you and me. It won’t be easy to find a suitable candidate.”

Xiang Xiaoyuan said, “The Ninth Immortal Heavenly Pass has drawn countless fierce characters from the Eternal True Realm. They all came for the same fortune. If it’s just the two of us, we’ll be at a disadvantage against such opponents.”

She paused, then looked toward the direction where Lin Xun had disappeared. “I just hope Ling Xuanzi survives. I can tell that he’s not far from a breakthrough. If he ascends to the seventh realm Supreme Emperor Stage, one can only imagine how terrifying his strength will be.”

He could already stand toe-to-toe with Feng Junlin at the sixth realm Emperor Stage. If he broke through, would Feng Junlin even stand a chance against him? Yue Duqiu couldn’t help but show a strange expression. After a moment, he simply shook his head.

The ninth district was perilous beyond imagination. Since ancient times, no one had ever emerged from it alive. Ling Xuanzi’s chances of survival were almost nonexistent.

Half an hour later, deep underground, Lin Xun excavated a hidden cave, laid down layers of restrictions and sat down cross-legged to restore his depleted strength.

At the same time, he began reviewing his harvests. One of the most precious was a flawless star source. It was rare and mystical, able to manifest into a black jade ruyi. At present, it was sealed inside the Limitless Abyss Sword Cauldron.

After carefully examining it, Lin Xun swallowed the star source into his body. In that instant, a fully complete great dao law, like a rain of starlight, merged seamlessly into his True Self Emperor World.

This dao, known as Dark Void, was as rare and mysterious as the Ascended True Gold Dao that he previously acquired. It was complete and required no further refining or comprehension. He could wield its power immediately.

For any Ninth Realm Ancestor, gaining such a complete dao would be equivalent to seizing a supreme fortune, and it would support them to become an Ancestor of a Path!

However, for now, it had little use for Lin Xun and was merely another layer of foundation. It would play a key role when he eventually stepped into the Ancestor Realm.

After understanding the Dark Void Dao, Lin Xun turned his attention to the four dao diagrams taken from Feng Junlin’s followers. Each of these treasures radiated unique power. After a brief examination, he unravelled their mysteries.

The four dao diagrams together formed a domain known as the Four Symbols Armament Realm, each guarded by a sacred totem: the Azure Dragon Sword, the White Tiger Spear, the Vermillion Bird Flame Seal, and the Black Tortoise Shield.

Each totem was forged through obscure and forbidden arrays, and they were imbued with the innate primordial spirits of the four divine beasts: Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermillion Bird, and Black Tortoise. All of them radiated unfathomable power.

Most astonishing of all, the Four Symbols Armament Realm contained a matching combat inheritance known as the Guide of All Realms. This was a terrifying forbidden technique capable of fusing the strength of four experts into an unprecedented devastating force.

Lin Xun had personally witnessed the overwhelming power of this technique in his earlier battle and had no doubt of its terrifying might.

The only drawback was that this Four Symbols Armament Realm required four individuals working in perfect sync to wield it to its fullest. Of course, for Lin Xun, this wasn’t a problem. His dao bodies could fulfil that role.

After carefully studying it, Lin Xun personally refined the Four Symbols Armament Realm and branded it with his own willpower. Only then did he store the treasure away.Once his strength had fully recovered, Lin Xun emerged from the underground cave and resumed his hunt for more star sources.

Time flew by. Before he knew it, only three days remained until the end of the trial. By now, Lin Xun had already left the seventh district and had spent several days exploring the eighth.

Unlike the seventh district, the eighth wasn’t more perilous in terms of threats, but instead an oppressive force permeated the world. Walking in it felt like wearing invisible shackles heavier than a sacred mountain. Anyone below the sixth realm Emperor Stage would struggle to endure it.

He rarely saw any cultivators. Furthermore, the number of star sources here was far fewer than in the seventh district.

They were so rare that after days of searching, Lin Xun had only found four. On this day, he made a decision. It was time to go to the ninth district.

“I’m heading to the ninth district. Do you want to come along?” Lin Xun asked the green sparrow.

The green sparrow hiding inside the sachet answered in a gloomy tone, “Miss instructed me to guide you. How could I back out now?”

“You don’t have to force yourself.” Lin Xun said seriously, “We don’t know what terrifying dangers lie ahead.”

The green sparrow was silent for a long while, then suddenly snapped, “You think I’m some coward who’d run at the first sign of danger? Enough nonsense! Even if you don’t agree, I will still follow you!”

Lin Xun looked up at the sky and sighed, “Seems like I’ve no choice but to make it out of the ninth district alive. Otherwise, I would drag you down with me, right?”

He chuckled softly after speaking and began his preparations. He was not afraid of this journey, but caution and vigilance were essential.

As he passed through the boundary between the eighth and ninth districts, a vast and boundless universe unfolded before his eyes. Lin Xun froze.

A whole new universe? This was completely different from all the districts before!

The four directions above and below were called ‘yu,’ and the ancient past and the flowing present were called ‘zhou.’[1]

The vast universe encompassed the boundless starry sky. Before arriving at the Great Thousand Battle Domain, Lin Xun had traversed the Ancient Nebula Road and countless cosmic planes. He was no stranger to the cosmic expanse. Despite those experiences, he still didn’t expect the ninth district to be situated in the middle of a universe!

He quietly surveyed the surroundings. To his surprise, there wasn’t the slightest trace of danger in the nearby area. Everything appeared perfectly calm and ordinary. However, it was devoid of life.

Suddenly, something caught Lin Xun’s attention. In a flash, he appeared above an ancient planet thousands of miles away. The planet was massive and dry, carved with ravines and crisscrossing gullies.

What drew Lin Xun’s attention was an eroded stone tablet, worn down by wind and sand. It had once been engraved with writing, but now only a few fragmented lines could still be made out.

The sages who perished here left a warning: none who enter this place can survive beyond twelve hours...

She came, bearing the light of destruction, engulfing the entire cosmos...

As expected...that was a power not of this epoch...

The sentences were broken, faint and scattered, almost illegible. However, even across countless years, a sense of despair, frustration, fear, and resignation emanated from those fragmented words. Lin Xun’s dark eyes narrowed.

None can survive beyond twelve hours!

And who is this ‘she’?

A power that does not belong to this epoch. Could ‘she’ be from a previous epoch?

1. Yuzhou’ means universe or cosmos ☜